The Melanoma Core has continuously approved and funded by the NCI Core Grant since 1981. The Core is of central importance to cancer investigators actively involved in basic, translational, clinical and epidemiological investigation of melanoma and its precursor lesions. It provides the integrated resources, specialized services and facilities required to serve a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary research effort directed at both understanding melanoma at a fundamental level and developing more effective diagnostic, treatment and prevention strategies. Most of the research conducted by members of the Cancer Center's Melanoma Program requires the use of the Melanoma Core's resources. The Core also serves researchers investigating analogous systems. During the current project period, users have successfully competed for a new P01 and the competitive renewal application for a long-standing P01 (pending). The Melanoma Core supports basic scientists, such as Meenhard Herlyn, DVM (Melanoma Program) and Dorothee Herlyn, DVM (Immunobiology and Melanoma Programs), translational and clinical researchers, such as Dupont Guerry, MD (Melanoma and Clinical Investigations Programs) Lynn Schuchter, MD (Clinical Investigations and Melanoma Programs), Stephen Eck, MD, PhD (Gene Therapy in Cancer Program), Douglas Fraker, MD (Clinical Investigations and Melanoma Program) and Brian Czerniecki, MD, PhD (Melanoma and Clinical Investigations Programs), as well as cancer control investigators, such as Timothy Rebbeck, PhD (Cancer Epidemiology, Melanoma and Breast Cancer Programs). During the current project period, the Melanoma Core has supported the research projects by 17 Cancer Center members totaling $4.7 million in peer-reviewed funding (annual total costs), or $3.4 million in annual direct costs. Four investigators (Czerniecki, Ganguly, Halpern and Rebbeck) have also received five Cancer Center pilot projects that relied on the Core. At the time of the last competitive renewal, this core was commended for being "one of the most cost-effective and efficient core services in the Cancer Center for the enhancement of research productivity." Usage by Cancer Center members with peer reviewed funding is 97% of total core usage, and usage by all Cancer Center members is 100% of total usage.